The Associated Press declared the Scranton-area attorney the victor at 9:56 p.m. Tuesday, and preliminary state results had him ahead by approximately 16,500 votes.

"I'm humbled by what appears to be a resounding victory and I'm grateful for all the people who made it possible," Cartwright said from the Hilton in downtown Scranton.

Cartwright and Moylan, the Schuylkill County Coroner, matched up as polar opposites in many regards. Cartwright has run as a supporter of the Affordable Care Act while Moylan would look to repeal it if possible. Cartwright is in favor of restoring the assault rifle ban that expired in 2004 while Moylan supports eliminating most background checks. On immigration, Cartwright prefers to grant a path to citizenship for those who have illegally immigrated into the country. Moylan, on the other hand, said the country needs to build a two-story wall along the Mexican border.

Moylan could not be immediately reached for comment. Cartwright said Moylan had not yet called him to concede, so he was not ready to declare victory.

Cartwright dominated Moylan financially, raising $1.2 million compared to Moylan's $77,000, according to the Federal Elections Commission. During the primary, Moylan conceded Republicans could not win the district but said he was running on principle.

The 17th Congressional District covers portions of Carbon, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Monroe and Northampton counties and all of Schuylkill County.